Art of refining iron and steel products



0ct.f2,f'1 92s. 1,686,087 C. W. HILL ART OF REF INING IRON AND STEEL PRODUCTS Filed Nov. 430, 19g5 Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNITED STATES cnAnLEs w. HILL, or BmnmoHAm, ALABAMA.

as; or anriume IRON AND STEEL rnonuo'rs.

i Application filed November 30, 1925. Serial No. 72,136.-

My invention relates to the manufacture of iron and steel and is particularly useful in making refined iron and steel products.

My object is to improve the physical prop- I 6 erties of ferrous metals to the extent that the improvement may be easily recognized and economically carried out, and, in general, my process consists in obtaining molten -metal, deemed desirable for the purpose, in a suitable receptacle and subjecting said molten metal to the treatment or treatments {hereinafter stated, in order-that the tensile and transverse strengths of the metal after treatment shall be greater 'thanthe said '5 strengths of the metal before treatment; and that the grain or structure of the metal after treatments'hall be closer or finer than the grain or structure of the metal before treatment; and at the same time making the treatedmetal of the desired hardness.

It is a recognized truth of chemistry that liquids absorb gases, and it is admitted by authorities conversant with chemical principles that the amount of gas that'a liquid will absorb is dependent upon four things,

viz, the nature of the liquid; the'nature of the gas", the temperature and the pressure.

I have conceived that, liquid iron or steel will follow the general law of liquids and the basis of my work heretoforeand of the present invention isthat by control of the kind of gas and the amount of gas, that I force into and through molten metal, at a given temperature and at agiven ,pressure,.I can get a 5 substantial improvement. in and control of the metal treated. Whether or not I- change o'r replace the gases in molten metal by gases used by me I: cannot say, but by operating under the process herein described I do make 40 *a very substantial, commercial and useful im provement in the iron treated.

' My invent'on contemplates producing the gases principally relied upon for the refine ment of molten metal by the combustion of products of combustion.

My invention contemplatesjrfegulating the gases in the ratio of the amount of fuel used to ,the amount of oxygen or 'air used so that the operator apparatus.

carbonaceous fuel adjacent to the -molteIL-'- metal and forcing .said gases into and-- such metal to ,both the heat of combustion.

can control the character of the products of combustion, making them either oxidizing with respect to the metal, or reducing with respect to iron oxide, as may be found necessary to increase the temperature of the molten metal or to purify it in the manner desired a W1thl11 tll6 contemplated range of treatment My invention also contemplates thep ro visipn of means for first treating the molten metal with oxygen or air, according to they well known Bessemer process so that, if desiredylts manganese, silicon and carbon content may be first lowered and the metal heated, after which the treatment with heat and gas from the. products of combustion, in the manner above described, may be used.

My invention further contemplates introduclng into the molten metal, either along with or after its treatment with the gases in the products of combustion, hydrogen gas or gas containing'hydrogen which will be forced t-hroughthe molten metal so as to assist in its 'de-oxidation and purification.

By introducing the heat produced'in the combustion of fuel' along with, the gaseous products of combustion it is obvious I am able to raise the temperature of the metal treated. and at the same time the molten metal is subjected to the chemical action of said products of combustion.

As'shown in the drawings-: M

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus that I have-used; and

Fig. is an elevation or'side view of said 9o Like numbers on the two figures refer to the same parts.

I do not specifically confine myself to this type of apparatusor to thearrangement shown, because. my process can be carried out in other types of apparatus.

Describing the apparatus shown in the drawings, 1 is a receptacle or refiner connected to a gas producer or furnace Q by means of flues or pipes3, 4 an'd'5, which are/made of steel andlined with fire vbrick or refractory materials. The'refiner 1 is connected at cover plate 6 with a, controlled and measured air supply pipe 7 and a controlled and measured gas pipe supply 8. The furnace 2 is-con-" nectedat cover plate 9 with a controlled and measured air supply through valve 10 and atflange 11 with a controlled and measured air supply through valve 12: A controlledandmeasured supply ef'oilisshown connected, to n furnace 2 at cover plate 3 and controlled by valve 13. -Under certain conditions this oil supply may be connected directly to refiner 1 at cover plate 6.-

Coke,-coal or wood'is put into furnace from platform '14 through door and burned on grates 16 and ashes are removed through door 17. Molten metal is obtained in ladle 18 and handled by crane 19 to platform 20, whereupon a man stands and'pours the metal into basin 21 from whence it flows into refiner 4 .it can be closed by means of a door swung into it by crane 26. A tapping hole 27 0f tapping the'metal' out of the refiner 1, and for cleanin the refinerl 1 and should come to the approximate level 22 in refiner 1 and in neck-or connection 4. The arrangement of the opening 23 to the connection is such that the spout of basin 21 can be swung into it by means of small crane 24 or usual design is provided an so also is a re.- movable bottom 28 supported by prop 29, for

Supports for the refiner 1 are in icated at 30 and for the furnace 2 are marked 31. v A poking and firing hole for the furnace 2 is provided at 32.- The controlling valves 10, 12, Band the valves 33 in plpe' I and 34 in pipe 8 are all placed within easy wood is charged into furnace 2 through door ready'to receive a charge of metal. Molten v the metal is poured into re reach of the operators stand.

My improved process is carried out with the apparatus described above, substantially as follows: 0 p

: Kindling is placedon ates 16 through firinghole 32, ignited an then coke, coal or 15 onto grates 16 where the fuel is burned by means of oxygen. or air being supplied by natural draft through flue 36, or y forced draft, and the furnace 2, connections'3, '4 and.

-5-and refiner 1 are all hea'ted red hot inside of small crane 24 and door 25 by means of crane 26 is swung against opening 23 in such manner as to close the said opening tightly.

The next ste is to se that o enin 15 17' e p gs ,iiig or discontinuing the treatment with hot and 32 are all e osedtightl after the furnace 2 has 'beenifilled withfue All valves having been previously closed, the operator can then open any one or more of the valves'12, 10, 33, 13 and 34 and subject the metal in refiner .1 to intimate contact with the gases in the roducts of combustion. The ases will come nto the upper art of connection 4 and force the liquid iron own as apiston throu b said connection 4 into connection 5 and w l ass therethrou h into and through the mo ten metal. A r the metal has been brought to a desired purification it is tapped out of refiner 1 into ladlejW. v r

It will bgObVlQllS that the refiner 1, being through the intake'connectlon 41 for the air ,ters Patent, is v trolling-the temperature and ofsaid juxtaposed to the furnace 2 and connected therewith by highly heated refractorylined connections 3, 4'and 5, will receive the gases 'at practically the same. temperature as they leave the furnace 2 and thus the heat from an delivered to the moltenmetal in the refiner while at the. 's'ametime the chemical reactions take place therein. The ratioof the amount of fuel used to the amount of oxygen or air used may be regulated and contro led by the operator by'the manipulation of the valve controls so that the products of combustion. as delivered into the molten metal will beeith'er oxidizing with respect to the metal or reducing with respect of iron oxide, as may be ssa to increase thetemperature ofittll g ii ietal and to purify it as desired.

Obviously the operator may first blow the molten, metal in the refiner 1 with a blast of 85 .air or oxygen through pipe 7 in accordance .with the well known: Bessemer process, ands after thisblowing step, the partially purified metal can then be treated either by the carbonaeeous gases from the furnace 2, or by a gassuch as hydrogenor a. gascontaining" hydro n admitted througln pipe 8 under centre of valve 34, or b a combination of carbonaceous gas and h rogen gas. It will also be apparent that, y the utilization of an oil supply through pipe 39 under control of valve 13, oil may-becharged into the furnace 2 to produce carbonaceous gases, it being noted that the pipe39leads through the intake connection for air entering the cover 9insuch manner tha anair 'et can be turned on by opening valve 0 whic will spray the oil with an injector cheat into the furnace 2. In like manner since the pipe 8 leads pipe 7, where it enters the cover plate 6,.b opening v'alve-33 air or oxygen can be a mitted with such as The refiner -1 is pro,- vided with a suitable cover #2 and 37 is a ladle for receiving treated metal when it is ta pedout. 0

rovide a valve 38 in the outlet pipe 36 and; y partly closing this valve I can operate the refiner under a controllable range of ressure above atmosphere, and by continuwhich can be manipulated to obtain the best 4 result.

Having thus described 'my invention, {what I claim as new and desire to secure by'Let-- 1. A'proeess of treating molten' metal, by

which regulated and controlled volumes of I gases are forced into molten metal while con- 'r'o the products ofcombustion will be conserved me I no i

iii I I variable pressure and temperature range mass,

molten metal so that the amount of gases absorbed by the molten metal may be definitely controlled.

2. The process of producing metal of a predetermined analysis, which comprises prov1ding purified metal in a molten state,

introducing chemical constituents of the metal to be produced in a gaseous state into the molten and controlling the temperature and pressure of the molten mass under treatment to control the incorporation by absorption of said chemical constituents in the metal.

3. The process of producing a metal of a predetermined analysis, which comprises bringing the metal to a molten state and puritying it, introducing chemical constituents of the metal to be produced in a gaseous stateinto the molten mass, and controlling the tem- 4. The process of producing a metal of a predetermined analysis, which comprises bringing the metal to a molten state and purifying it, introducing chemical constituents of the metal to be produced in a gaseous state into and through the molten mass in intimate contact therewith, and controlling the temperature and pressure of the molten mass under treatment to control the incorporation by absorption of said chemical constituents in the metal. A

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES W. HILL. 

